Anonymous seems to pick a lot of targets these days that they feel are deserving of their unique brand of Internet vigilantism. Their latest target – Canadian Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.
We reported last Tuesday that Toews introduced C-30 – a bill that would require ISPs to collect information on citizens that would be accessible by the authorities at any time. Toews caused a small amount of controversy when he said that those against the bill were in support of child pornography. Well, Toews has rattled the Internet and it’s itching for a fight.
Over the weekend, two videos were released from Anonymous that directly targeted Toews in regards to the online privacy bill. The longer video is the usual Anonymous threat video that features the usual rhetoric of the Internet fighting back, etc. The second, shorter video is far more interesting, however, as it directly targets Toews and demands that he step down as Public Safety Minister.
The video calls the attack “Operation White North” and Anonymous claims to have dirt on Vic Toews that they will reveal unless he complies with their demands.
Toews has been made aware of the apparent threat and sent a message regarding it to his constituents over the weekend according to CTV. He said that the threats have been “referred to the police for investigation.”
He said that “personal attacks, criminal acts and threats of future criminal acts against me” won’t stop him from fulfilling his parliamentary duties. He also said that any further threats against him and his family will be referred to the police.
CTV spoke to a person close to the minister and they said that Toews isn’t concerned whatsoever over the threats. He considers the video a “political threat.” He’s more concerned over the potential security threat the group poses.
Many believe the threats against Toews are in relation to his divorce. For our readers who don’t follow Canadian politics, Toews divorced his wife of 30 years after it was found that he fathered a child out of wedlock with a woman that was believed to be his child’s babysitter.
Toews addressed this in his statement by saying that any information they could possibly have is already publicly available.
It seems that Toews is ready to move forward with C-30. Now it’s up to Anonymous to play their hand.
This will end in one of two ways – either Anonymous will reveal something terrible on Toews that could damage his career or it will end up being nothing. We’ll just have to wait and see.